


four percent

by ottermo



Series: As Prompted [98]
Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Gen, everybody lives au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:00:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25368784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: Fred is not about to let Flash die.
Relationships: Max Elster/Flash Singh
Series: As Prompted [98]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/360089
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	four percent

**Author's Note:**

> For last year's Humans challenge - the prompt was 'Everybody lives!'  
> Well, if you insist... sometimes I like to live in a world where Max was less alone and vulnerable to Anatole’s wily ways

She wakes to see a pair of green eyes staring down at her, a smiling face. “Hello, Flash. Welcome back.”

Readings flood her headspace, too fast to process them all. “What happened?” She tries to move, but it’s harder than it should be.

Fred sets a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t try to get up yet. You’re nowhere close to full power.” He glances past her, apparently at a screen she can’t see. “There’s been a power outage, but I managed to divert just enough to stop your rootcode from disintegrating.”

He sees her anxious expression. “You will be fine. You took some serious damage on your shopping trip.”

It’s a struggle to find the relevant files, but Flash remembers some of the day’s events. “Julian was there.”

“Yes. We hope to save him too.”

An alert tells Flash that her power is critical, even though she’s charging. She closes her eyes, instinctively starting the process to switch into power saving mode.

“Don’t do that, please,” Fred says, moving his hand from her shoulder to her chin. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure enough that the repairs to your root will hold. You need to stay on full power for now.”

“Four percent,” Flash manages to say.

“I know. It won’t be for long.”

Flash dismisses the alert and can only hope he’s right. He really must have diverted the bare minimum amount of power. They’re lucky to have him: Fred can do almost anything with half the resources one of his assistants would require.

As if on cue, Anatole’s voice reaches her ears, and Flash listens to the conversation, by way of a distraction from the fatigue that comes from being in single digits on full power mode.

“We need more power in unit three.”

“I am sure it can be found.”

“It can’t. We’re running on reserves.”

“We will see. Show me the problem.”

Footsteps, now, as Fred and his assistant head further down the repairs bay. Flash feels guilt tugging at her. If someone else dies tonight because power was diverted to save her… but what can she do about it? Very little, with her battery refusing to climb above four percent.

She reflects on the tone of Anatole’s voice – such insistence on emergency, and irritation that Fred wouldn’t rise to it. He has been bristling under Fred’s authority, she knows, ever since the more experienced synth had found the railyard and reunited with his brothers. Nobody, aside from Flash, Max, Mia and Mattie, knows the truth about where Fred came from, but she can tell that Anatole has picked up a difference in how he was received by them, how quickly Max had put him in charge of repairs. He resents it. She sees why. Sometimes she wonders if it would be better if they told him the truth about their origins.

“Flash?”

The sound of Max’s voice has her eyes flying open, all thoughts of her low power momentarily forgotten. “Hello.”

“Are you alright?” He looks stricken, relief only just beginning to seep in.

“Yes. Low power.”

“I’m not surprised. Anatole has disabled one of the reserve power units.” He glances down the repair bay, apparently in the direction Fred and Anatole had taken. “He’s trying to manipulate me into making some kind of mistake, but I don’t know what. We didn’t need those extra parts, Flash. I had Gordon check the stores while you were gone. What happened to you…”

He stops, as if the end of his sentence is too terrible to voice.

“Not chance,” she finishes for him.

“No.” Max looks down at her, and takes her hand. “Not a word to anyone. I’ll be back soon.”

He heads off in pursuit of the others, leaving Flash alone with her thoughts.


End file.
